


Be Your Shadow

by apostapal



Series: Dearest Hunters [2]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Cat and Mouse Games, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-28
Updated: 2017-03-28
Packaged: 2018-10-11 21:42:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10475073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/apostapal/pseuds/apostapal
Summary: It's all a wonderful game now, rather than anything close to the former malice, but sometimes Gabriel gets bored of lurking in the darkness when Jack is so close. Sometimes, he has to get closer.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I finished this to make myself feel better after a shitty day. :0 Hope everyone likes a lil post-Dear Hunting schmoopiness. One day I'll use this series for serious additions to the story rather than fluff but TODAY IS NOT THAT DAY.

It was sloppy, really. He'd been taking the same route home for the past week. Down the same side streets, stopping at the same food stalls, and walking the same stairs up to his temporary apartment. It was embarrassing, really. The great Jack Morrison, being so predictable.

It was a simple matter to figure out the best spot. Not too visible, nor too far or too early into his route home for anyone close to notice.

Reaper waited, poised on the corner of a rooftop like some horrific gargoyle, and watched the dot of red and blue move below. Just a few more steps before he was in the alleyway properly and _—there!_

He dropped, body dissolving before he hit the ground just to re-solidify quickly under him when the impact finished. Silent, he reached out and grabbed the back collar of the soldier's jacket and yanked hard. And Jack, caught so suddenly unawares, flailed backwards and landed flat on his ass in the middle of the side street.

Reaper looked down at him, the other man reeling and scrambling for some way to defend himself, and cocked his head to the side. They made eye contact—or as close as it came with both of their faces largely obscured. Then they both moved to react.

He was faster, Jack still partially stunned, and ended up crouched over the other man, one knee pinning his chest to the ground. Jack flailed briefly, kicking his legs out from under him in an attempt to get enough leverage to push Reaper off, but failed and went limp, brow furrowed in a largely unseen glare under his visor.

“Well, Jack, looks like you're done for.” Reaper drawled. He reached out and tapped a clawed finger against Jack's visor.

Jack stared up at him a moment in silence, then sighed. “You cheated.” he grumbled, shoving at Gabriel's leg. “Get. Off.”

The wraith laughed and shifted his weight, pressing down on his knee, and Jack kicked his legs again, managing to knock him solidly in the back once before he finally relented and slid off his chest. The other man sat up, inhaling deeply, and socked him in the shoulder.

“Asshole.”

“I don't see how using your own oblivious nature against you is cheating.” Gabriel said, rubbing at his arm.

He couldn't see it but Gabriel could tell Jack was scowling at him as he dusted off his sleeves. He moved to get up but Gabriel grabbed his arm, yanking him back down lightly.

“Sore loser.” he hummed, reaching for Jack's visor. “Not even going to give me my prize?”

“Like you even earned it.” Jack grumbled even as he let Gabriel pull his mask off. The scowl was gone when Gabriel finally got to see his face, instead replaced with a faint upward quirk of his lips. He never could stay mad long...

Gabriel removed his own mask, briefly checking for curious stragglers over his shoulder, and leaned in close. Smoke trailed off his face, snaking its way across Jack's cheeks. Jack's smile widened, becoming a truly realized grin, and he shook his head.

“You said nothing close to home.”

“You're not going home.” Gabriel reasoned, “That's just a shitty motel. Home implies Overwatch.”

“You call your safe-houses home.”

“Yeah, because Talon bugs those, Jack.”

Jack made a face but was the one to clear the gap between them, tugging at Gabriel's coat and pulling him closer. The kiss was soft, both of them lingering in each other's warmth rather than surging forward in any amount of urgency. It wasn't the place for passion, what with the rotting garbage a few feet down the alley, but they made due with what they had when they had it.

“You really didn't notice me this whole time?” Gabriel asked, voice muffled in their still half-way kiss as he pulled back slightly.

Jack wrinkled his nose at him. “No.” he replied, “I thought I felt like I was being watched but I assumed you had more important things to do with your time than tail me.”

“Keeps up with the act. It's important.” Gabriel reasoned, “Also, I like being your shadow.”

Jack rolled his eyes but there was only fondness in his expression as he hopped to his feet and offered Gabriel a hand up. The other man took it and pulled himself up, drifting sideways with his fingers still wrapped around Jack's wrist. He pressed his face to Jack's shoulder and curled his other arm around his waist, swaying further to the side and dragging Jack with him.

“What are you doing, Gabe?” Jack asked, even as he allowed himself to drift into a lazy half-waltz.

“Tempting fate.” Gabriel hummed. He closed his eyes and felt Jack press in closer, hand resting against his waist, and smiled faintly. “Imagine if we got caught like this, hmm?”

“Ruins your image.” Jack said with a faint chuckle and rested his chin on Gabriel's shoulder.

“Naaah. I'd act my way out of it; I'm good.”

Jack let out a faint chuckle, swaying the other direction and pulling Gabriel with him, and let it go. They left themselves to the brief moment, hidden in a dark alley or not, until footsteps drifted by. Not close enough to see them but too close for comfort, both of them stepping apart quickly only to exchange grins when they realized there wasn't any danger.

“Looked pretty nervous for someone who could act their way out of it, Gabe.”

“Oh? It wasn't a big enough issue to justify my acting anyway.” Gabriel replied, smile widening. “But trust me, I have it all planned.” He stepped closer again, smoke trailing off his form, and slowly dissolved. He sank low to the ground, sliding around behind Jack, and kept his body formed only high enough to comfortably prop his elbow on the ground below, setting his chin on his fist. “There. See? Perfect acting.”

Jack turned, brow raised, and asked, “How is that supposed to convince someone we're still fighting?”

Gabriel shrugged. “It's not.” he said, “It's to remove the _me_ element all together. I'm not Reaper, I'm just—“ he moved forward, smirking at his own humor before it even left his mouth, and sank down to his neck into the black mist, forming a circle near Jack's feet, “—just a shadow.”

Jack stared at him a moment, hand raised to rub his chin, and then dropped down to a crouch in front of him. He reached out and plopped his free hand on Gabriel's head.

“You're ridiculous.”

Gabriel surged up suddenly, body solidifying into a mirror of Jack's pose, and laughed. “Admit it, you're just mad you didn't think of it first.” he said.

Jack shook his head and got up, pausing to offer Gabriel a hand again. This time, Gabriel pulled himself up with no flourish and plucked Jack's long forgotten bag off the ground, holding it out to him.

“Here.” Jack took the bag, shooting him a curious look as Gabriel gathered both their masks and presented that as well. Gabriel just tossed him one last smile before dawning the haunting visage of Reaper again. “It's nearly 8 and I know Jack Morrison has never stayed up past 10 without there being a whole lot of tequila involved.”

He swatted at Gabriel but let it drop, instead turning towards his original destination. Jack paused, however, and glanced over his shoulder at the other man.

“I do have a ways to go, you know.” he said, “And if I'm so easy to sneak up on tonight that may be a problem around here.”

“Need an escort?” Gabriel asked, chuckling faintly. Jack shook his head.

“No, not really. But a shadow might be handy. For intimidation purposes, of course. The bigger you cast the bigger you are, right?”

Gabriel let out a peel of laughter, legs dissipating out from under him, and dropped down to his waist above the ground. “Oh, really?” he said, grinning big, “I think I can be some assistance with that.”

“You do, do you?”

“Oh, of course.” Gabriel held a finger to the lower part of his mask, mimicking a 'shh' motion. “They'll never know I'm here. Well, not unless they need to know.”

Jack smiled, adjusted his bags, and offered Gabriel a little nod before turning back down the alley. “Well,” he said, “that sounds perfect to me.”

**Author's Note:**

> And I just want to be the sum of your broken parts  
> And I just want to be your creature of the dark 
> 
> ([x](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AsvZge3IiQ))


End file.
